Long story.
I wanted a bigger monitor.
We needed a new computer for the boys to use as they are getting older and are using computers more for school.

So my DH goes to sam's a gets a great "deal" on a computer cuz it was the display one.

it is a nice computer I suppose. It has a huge 24 inch flat panel monitor. So I get all excited and load photoshop.
well the colors on the screen are horrible. Long story, I google find out this monitor is KNOWN to have this issue. I try to calibrate it and get it so I can at least look at it without getting a headache. It is not going to work very well for scrapping.....

Then I remember it was for the KIDS LOL.
So I download a free program that I have heard lots of great things about that teaches kids how to do computer programing.
It's called Alice. I'm sure some of you have heard of it. One of the colleges out here even uses it in a computer class.

So that's when my problems started.
My DH uses vista at work an said it's fine everyone is complaining for nothing.
well that may be true, but I need help right now.
I downloaded the program in the downloads like vista said too.
I extracted it, then tried to run it.

I got an error message and then nothing.
BUT when I tried to run it again I get amessage saying I am already running alice.
but I'm NOT. it isn't anywhere.
so then I go to the task manager. Nothing no alice.
my computer swears I am stilll running it.
I can't "find" it.
so I thought I got a bad download and tried to delete it.
Nope vista says I don't have "permission" to delete it.
I am logged in as SAM (that is the main one or guest it was already set up this way) but I can't delete it.
so I call a friend who has it and of course it runs perfect on her computer.....
So I download it again to a different location....
I can't run it cuz my computer swears it is running enough through it is not showing up under task manager.

My son was really excited about doing computer animation (finally he as excited about SOMETHING)

so now I am late for work....
have to alice programs on my computer than DON"T work.
and it I can't scrap on this computer and the boys can use it what is the point?

oh and did I mention I lost the receipt?

can someone please help me figure out how to delete this mess?
or how to get my computer to shut it off???????????

We recently got a new laptop that has Vista. I really, really like XP and I still don't see any reason for MS to put out the Vista version of their OS. But, once you use Vista for a while, you do get used to it.

I had some problems when I was setting it up - some programs wouldn't work. Apparently Vista has a "hidden" admistrator account and you need to log in as this user when installing some programs. There is a DOS command that you have to run to see this Administrator login icon when you first boot up. Ummm, but you know I can't remember it. I'm sure I wrote it down.... I'll just have to find it.... you can try searching on the web for it too if I take too long to get back here... that's how I found it.

If all else fails..I restart my computer..I have Vista and this usually does the trick 85% of the time. You may have already done this..but I thought I might just put it out there. The only problem I really have with Vista is that it changes my folder veiws to weird things. I hope you work it out!

I am hating Vista with a purple passion. I am, as we speak, trying to load Outlook and of course, there is an error. I can't even begin to tell you the time and money I have spent trying to load programs onto my laptop. I am so stressed out I feel like the top of my head is going to blow off!
Well, back to searching the internet for a fix to the error. Sigh....

What a mess! I hate having computer trouble!
I am not sure what to tell you but I was trying to install a program a few days ago and it said Internet Explorer was open. It was not open! So I hit Control+Alt+Delete and clicked on the "Processes" tab, found "Internet Explorer" in there and "Ended Process." It worked! Maybe that will help you end Alice. Good luck!

thank you ladies.
Regulargal and paperdoll scraps had some great info. I will have to check that out.

I broke down and spent waaaay to much money on "vista for Dummies" at Barnes and noble today. Hoping that willl help with some of the frustration.
I really want to find *something* that my oldest DS likes to do that involves LEARNING something......Sigh..... and I really had high hopes for Alice so I really want it to work.

2. check in the system tray a. The system tray is by your clock on the bottom right corner of the screen. b. You may not be able to see all the items in the system tray so click on the white left pointing arrow to see the additional items. c. Hover the mouse over each item to see the tip that will tell you the name of that item. d. If you find the program you're trying to close then right click on it and choose exit.

3. if you found your program in the system tray and closed your it, you may still need to remove it from the start up folder. a. to get to the start up folder click on the circle icon in the bottom left corner (the start button) b. click on all programs c. scroll down to the start up folder and click on it d. if the program you're trying to keep from running is there then right click on it and choose delete. Then it shouldn't start up next time you restart your computer.

4. If you couldn't find it in your system tray use the task manager (already mentioned) a. to start the task manager hit ctrl + alt + delete at the same time, then click on start task manager b. choose the applications tab across the top c. select the program you want to stop d. choose end task

5. if the program you want to stop isn't in the list on the task manager application tab do the following: a. choose the processes tab b. look for the program name followed by .exe c. click on that item on the list d. choose end process

6. if the program you want to stop isn't in the list on the task manager processes tab then do the following: a. cry, no just kidding, lol however those are my best first guesses. lmk how it goes.

ttfn

Wife to my sweetheart for 15 wonderful years. Mother to three darling children, two girls and a boy.